American in UK shares differences between gardening in US and Britain

Gardening is a hobby enjoyed by people across the world as it allows them to connect with nature and experience the satisfaction of growing their own food.

It can be relaxing for some and there is a variety of plants and flowers that can be grown in home gardens. The basics of gardening include understanding soil, choosing the right plants based on climate and growing conditions, and effective planting techniques.

There are some simple jobs that need to be done in every garden, including planting, weeding, watering, pest control and general maintenance, such as mowing the lawn. However, there are some gardening differences depending on the country.

TikTok user @grande_americano is a man from Texas in the US who lives in Suffolk with his British wife. He gives his followers insights into his life in the UK, including how it is different to America.

In one of his videos, he speaks about how gardening in America compares to gardening in the UK. He then detailed three differences he has spotted.

1. People in the UK don’t say ‘yard’ or ‘yard work’

The Texan firstly noted that people in the UK don’t use the terms ‘yard’ or ‘yard work’. He explained: “Gardening means everything you do in the yard. When I grew up you did yard work, which was mowing, trimming, edging, and a garden was a separate thing.”

He shared that a garden was either for flowers or vegetables but in Britain, a garden refers to “all of it”, including what he knows as the yard, lawn and where the flowers and vegetables are grown. The expat has further learned that if a Brit says they are going to have a garden party, they mean the ‘yard’.

2. The soil is ‘nice’

The TikTok creator added: “The second thing is the soil is nice. I did a little bit of gardening today and it was actually somewhat pleasant to be able to pull weeds and dig around and not be hitting rocks after a half inch of top soil, like I would be doing in Texas where I’m from.”

He has found that there is no limestone or dolomite to chip through in his garden at his UK home, which is different to Texas. The American described the soil as “nice, rich dirt.”

3. No ‘weird’ critters in the UK

The last difference the expat has spotted is that there are none of the “weird critters” that are commonly found in Texas or scorpions or any “crazy venomous snakes.” He remarked: “I did see quite a few spiders and slugs and snails, [I] even saw two newts.

He has seen “plenty of critters wandering around” and “lots of good fishing worms” in the soil but he has observed that they go along “minding their own business.” The Texan continued: “I’ve been told that there are some snakes here in the UK and possibly one viper, one venomous snake but I’ve been told that you’ll be lucky to ever see a snake, much less a poisonous one.”

The American man admitted that as much as he might learn to complain about the weather, it’s in fact the temperate climate, moisture and humidity that creates “such beautiful lush gardens and scenery and countryside that we all really love.”